Quinoa is one of those grains we’ve all heard we should eat more of… it’s easy enough to serve a little quinoa on the side with your salad and protein but it’s more versatile than that. And it’s far tastier when seasoned well. I’ve recently discovered that quinoa makes an excellent breakfast. It’s one of those super grains (actually, it’s a seed) that has a high nutritive value. It is a complete protein containing all nine essential amino acids. And it’s high in fiber – almost twice of most other grains! Quinoa is an anti-inflammatory food that cooks quickly and easily. If you find it bitter, try soaking it first. “Recent studies are providing us with a greatly expanded list of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in quinoa. This unique combination of anti-inflammatory compounds in quinoa may be the key to understanding preliminary animal studies that show decreased risk of inflammation-related problems (including obesity) when animals are fed quinoa on a daily basis. The list of anti-inflammatory phytonutrients in quinoa is now known to include: polysaccharides like arabinans and rhamnogalacturonans; hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acids; flavonoids like quercetin and kaempferol; and saponins including molecules derived from oleanic acid, hederagenin and serjanic acid. Small amounts of the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), are also provided by quinoa.”

I like to add dried tart cherries to this recipe. Make sure your dried cherries have no added sugar or corn oil – like those craisins! Tart cherries are great for you, and they are also an anti-inflammatory food. Raw walnuts are another anti-inflammatory food. High in good fat and flavor, they satiate us for longer and satisfy our need for fat and flavor. Not only are walnuts one of the few nuts that have omega 3-fatty acids, they are THE highest in omega 3s of the entire nut world. With a little cinnamon and coconut oil this quinoa porridge is a breakfast that will keep you happily going until your kale smoothie in the afternoon. 😉

Quinoa Porridge

(serves 2)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups water

1 cup quinoa

1 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup raw walnuts

1 teaspoon of virgin, organic, cold-pressed coconut oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon sea salt

NEXT:

In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together water, quinoa, dried cherries, sea salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat and simmer covered, 15 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Separate into 2 bowls, top each bowl with a few walnuts, 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil and cinnamon. Enjoy!

About the Author: Tania Van Pelt is the creator of Happiness Series. She is a writer and content creator, working in film, tv, and online. She wrote the popular lifestyle book "Ageless Diet," published in late 2015. And she is currently working on her next book. She also developed a sitcom pilot set in the restaurant business called "Employees Only TV" and is developing another web series comedy about Denver.